Supporting our SEND pupils

This booklet provides support for the staff in classroom-based strategies and adaptations which may be useful in meeting pupils’ special educational needs within their lessons and in the wider school environment.

Identifying learning difficulties and whether these fall under the umbrella of Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD), or relate to Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) can be tricky. This resource focuses on how these can be identified and also suggests a range of classroom-based solutions (strategies and adaptations) that may be useful in supporting pupils with learning difficulties within their lessons and in the wider school environment.

This guidance is primarily aimed at staff who work with pupils who have Autism. However, the 10 main strategies outlined within this guidance are also highly inclusive approaches that can benefit all pupils, regardless of whether they have been given a label or not.

Although many children do develop speech, language and communication skills as expected, any of the areas identified in the communication chain may not develop appropriately. Any of the areas can be affected on their own or in combination. When this happens, a child is described as having Speech, Language and Communication needs or SLCN. 

This section is for teachers to access quick and effective ways to help pupils at their academy to better manage their emotions and develop their own unique toolkit to self-regulate. 

The term ‘intervention’ is often used to describe a short-term, focused teaching programme with specific intended outcomes aimed at individuals or small groups of pupils with particular needs.  Interventions are provided in addition to high quality teaching in the classroom and are likely to be an essential part of the additional provision you offer pupils with SEND. Find out about a range of interventions that you could use at your academy.

When a pupil has a Special Educational Need or Disability, their brain may work differently compared to other pupils, so they will learn in a different way, and sometimes behave differently. When they are ready, pupils can learn that they can’t change this, but they can learn to manage it, and all about the gifts and advantages that they may have too!

The excellent OPA Mental Health and Wellbeing website has been developed by Paul Foster and offers an endless supply of resources for staff to use with pupils. This may be in a small group or on a one to one basis in order to support pupils around their mental health and wellbeing.